First Time in a While
by vagrantboy
Summary: After a five year self-imposed exile Harry Potter returns to the world he left behind. In the process of rejoining those he left behind he and two others find something they never expected. Harry/Hermione/Ginny story.
1. Five Years Gone

**First time in a while.**

_**Disclaimer:**_**_ I own nothing of the source material with which this story and characters are based upon. _**

**_Author's Note__: This was a concept I had written down a while back and needed to get out. It turns out that it was not just a stray plot running around in my head, so I followed it. _**

**_This will only be three to six chapters long, and somewhere in between 40,000-60,000 words long. That of course depends on how much I feel fits each chapter. _**

**_This will not be something updated regularly. In fact don't be surprised if I wait to finish the rest of the story before uploading. _**

**_Fair Warning!: THIS WILL BE A HARRY/HERMIONE/GINNY PAIRED STORY. That will not happen until later. But it will contain the three of them in a relationship. So no one gets to complain about that now. Also I should point out the rating on this story. Subject matter is the reason for the rating. Sensitive issues will be talked about, language will get heavy, and somewhere down the line a man, a woman, and another woman will be making love. It won't be explicit, but it will be talked about. _**

**_My editing is rough on this chapter._**

* * *

**Part 1: Five Years Gone.**

It had been five years.

Harry's days were simple: He woke up, showered, cooked breakfast, ate breakfast, wrote his daily letter to Teddy, send the letter with Copernicus, read, walk the woods, return to his cabin, make lunch, eat lunch, read more, spend an unspecified amount of time sorting through his emotions, spend an unspecified amount of time hating himself for leaving, cook dinner, eat dinner, drink one glass of fire whiskey, and then read until he fell asleep.

This particular day (and all that would follow after) would not go like that.

As Harry placed a second rasher of bacon onto the pan he felt the wards outside the cabin shift. His wand was out of its holster and he was at the door before the person on the other side had time to knock. Harry wretched the door open and began to point his wand he took in the features of his only visitor for five years. She was tall, regal, and despite the striking resemblance to her dead sister she emanated warmth. At that moment though Harry could see worry in her eyes and her age come through.

"What's happened?," Harry asked in a hurry ushering the woman into the cabin, "Where is he? Andi?"

"He caught a nasty case of Dragon Pox," Andromeda replied, "he's been asking for you." She looked into his eyes with pleading tears. "He needs you," she paused to grip his arm as her voice took on a little ice, "You can come back to your self-imposed exile after he is better, but you WILL be there for my grandson."

"Andi..." Harry started.

"No." Her grip on his arm became painful, "I don't give a damn about your fears. Your godson is sick and scared. Sitting in an uncomfortable bed. In St. Mungos." She pulled him to meet her eyes, whatever it is that you have been hiding from here is no longer your main concern. You. Will. Be. There." She ground out between her teeth. "That portkey may have only been good for one use, but I know what this land looks like now." She gave him a feral smile, "Northern Scotland isn't it. From the looks of it not to far from Loch Lomond. I'm sure I can find my way back easily." She let go of his arm, "You do not want me to have to come back Harry..." Her eyes softened a bit, "Come back even if it's just until our boy is back to health...he wants to do more than write to you every day..." Her eyes moistened, "and there are so many other who want to see you Harry."

Harry was frozen as he watched her turn and walk to the door.

"Andi?" He managed to croak out to her as she turned the knob.

"You have two hours to clean yourself up and get to St. Mungos." She looked back at him and smiled , "I expect you to be clean shaven young man...I will not have you looking like that the first time my grandson sees his godfather in person...two hours." She finished and stepped out the door with the sound of apparition following soon after.

His hand was shaking as flicked is wand to turn off the burner where his bacon was now quite thoroughly burnt. He walked over and threw the remains in the rubbish before he moved to his room. Inside of his closet he began to slowly pull down fresher, nicer clothes than the flannel shirt and jeans he was wearing. On auto pilot he moved to his shower and stepped inside before he scrubbed as hard as he could. When he stepped in front of the mirror afterwards he took note that is skin was now a light pink. He looked to the small razor he kept and then looked back to the mirror.

He would need to trim the scraggly beard he had grown since the last time he shaved before using the razor. His hair was a lost cause. He only went into the small village to get a haircut every few months, but he had not been able to go last week due to the storm that had come into the valley. He sighed before conjuring a small pair of scissors and began to cut the beard down.

Harry has to sit in his tiny living room for a while. The farthest he had gone from the cabin since moving in had been to the village. And even then his exposure to others had been limited to the people at checkout counters and the barber.

A weight settled onto his shoulder. Copernicus. The owl that had found him before his wards were finished. Hermione had sent him. Tiny Barn Owl that he was. He had been a gift...and a guilt inducing one at that. She had sent him in hopes that Harry would at least communicate with them. But he hadn't.

He had only started owling Teddy two years ago. To be honest he was surprised the boy had owled back. Teddy had learned to write early just for him.

Harry let out a huff.

"I can do this." He said resolutely to himself.

"Hoo!" Copernicus hooted in what Harry took as encouragement.

"Yeah mate...hoo." Harry said as he stood. The bird flew to his perch. Harry walked to the door and then stepped out into the crisp early Autumn chill. He let out a visible breath as he apparated outside of is comfort zone for the first time in five years.

* * *

"Umm...Teddy Remus Lupin." Harry softly answered the receptionist question of who he was there to see.

"Relationship to the patient and name." The monotone and lack of eye contact the woman held as she droned out the command was almost welcome to Harry.

He leaned in and whispered.

"I'm his Godfather...um...Harry Potter." As soon as he said his name he watched the almost comical halt in the woman's action. Gone were the files she had been holding. Gone was the cup of tea she had been getting ready to sip from.

"Oh!...Well...right Mr. Potter." Harry ducked his head on instinct when she said his name. Her co-workers though looked to be sending glances his direction now. "Go on through." She said now leaning forward. "He's in room 219...up one floor and to your right..." She leaned in further and gave him a smile that made him feel uncomfortable, "if you get lost...feel free to come back." She winked at him.

As Harry walked through the pristine white halls, up the stairwell, and then stepped into the children's ward of the Magical Bugs and Diseases floor his worry began to increase tenfold. His memories of everyone else he had ever known to spend time in the hospital started to weigh on him. The Longbottoms, Lockhart, Katie Bell, Arthur Weasley, Bill. His steps became a light jog as is thoughts began to play back his own memories of wounds he had seen in his life. His own times sick, and locked in a closet came flashing by as his jog became a sprint.

Then he was at the door of room 219. His Godson's room. He pushed the door to the room opens. Inside Andromeda stood on the other side of Teddy's bed with a terry cloth as she wet the sleeping boy's head.

Harry felt stuck as he looked at the boy. He was big...well bigger than harry imagined him to be. His skin had a green hue to it and there were tiny bumps covering his face, but he was beautiful.

Andromeda looked up to Harry, and he could feel the smile she gave him. It wasn't a normal smile...it was as if something had flown over his head and he had no clue. She motioned him over and pulled a chair next to the bed for him.

"Come…sit." She said lightly.

And he did. Harry sat in the chair and looked at his Godson. His beautiful, sick Godson. He felt Andromeda lay a hand on his back and rub as she said something about letting him have his time.

Harry sat…and sat. He watched the slight hitch that labored Teddy's breathing every few seconds. After a time he found himself reaching out and laying his larger hand over the boy's. His first real human contact in so long. He felt tears sliding down his face. He felt himself lose connection to everything that wasn't his Godson.

His attention should have been broken when others entered the room and moved to Teddy, but it didn't. It didn't break when a person started to gently applying a salve to Teddy's chest, neck, and face. It didn't break when the person conjured a chair next to him. But it did break when a hand lay on his shoulder and he heard his name.

"Harry my boy?" The voice asked. Harry turned and saw an unexpected sight.

"Pro…Professor?" Harry asked.

"Oh…my boy," Slughorn laughed, "I haven't been your Professor for quite a while now. Horace will do…or Slughorn if my first name makes you uncomfortable." The man smiled.

"Oh…um…How about Sir…for now." Harry said. He looked at the man before asking, "Sir not that it's not good to see you…but."

"Oh yes…Sorry to interrupt your time with your Godson my boy, but I've been helping with the sudden rash of Dragon Pox…Minerva thought it best if I came out and helped for a few days in the potions lab here." The man smiled again. "Luckily it hasn't reached out past Wales and Lower Britain, so Hogwarts is safe from the epidemic." He moved over to look at the progress of Teddy. "Yes, young Mr. Lupin is doing much better. Given his heritage I've been personally making the salve for him…tricky bit of work it is." The man nodded his head. "But the boy is much like you…a natural fighter." Slughorn smiled.

"Yeah..." Harry said slightly as he finally felt enough sense of self to wipe the tracks left from his tears.

"Oh now…no need for embarrassment my boy." Slughorn said consolingly. "Given this is the first time you've seen him in quite a while it's understandable." The man gave a small smile.

"Yeah… my fault that is." Harry said softly.

"Harry…there is no need…" Slughorn started.

"I left everyone…bloody brave person I am right? Coward. I'm a coward." Harry said with a harsh whisper. He felt himself get ready to say more, but the sound of chuckling drew him back to look at Slughorn.

"Oh dear my boy…you call yourself a coward." The old man shook his head. "Harry…" Slughorn put his hand back to Harry's shoulder, "In my life I have known bravery…and cowardice." He let go of Harry's shoulder. "They are not solidary ideas…they are…mated ideas." He smiled back to Harry again. "When you and Albus found me close to eight years ago was I not in exile? Was I not a man who hid from the world?" His questions were weighted and hit home, but Harry couldn't draw the conclusions.

"Voldemort was still alive though…there was reason for fear…and…" Harry began.

"Guilt…my boy…" The old man paused and looked to Harry with kind eyes. "I won't pretend to know why you left…but I will say that if after five years you have not figured out…maybe, just maybe the answer isn't going to be found by yourself." The old man rose and banished his conjured chair. "Take it from me my boy…Time is something best not wasted in recesses of guilt and loneliness." Slughorn drew himself up to his full (five foot) height and gave a small bow. "You my boy, I hope to see more often. If you need to speak on anything…feel free to come and find me. I owe that much to you…and your mother." He smiled before he left the room.

Harry sat for a while after Slughorn had left in silence and let his mind run from non-sequitor to non-sequitor. Each thought about someone different. The most though were of the different Weasley's, Professors, friends, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, those he had lost, and most of all himself. Of what he had done to himself. He had given up so much. Thrown away so much because he couldn't handle himself at a time when everyone else just wanted to help him.

"Hello?" A tiny voice, hoarse with sleep and sickness brought his attention back to the bed. Teddy had woken up during his introspective thoughts. The boy still had a bit of salve that hadn't made its way into his skin, and his hair had turned from the brown it had been to a light pink. His pale blue eyes, so much like his fathers, combined with that hair color taunted Harry. His parents it seemed had found a way past the grave to remind him of his failures.

"Hey mate." Harry said fighting the sob that had built. "You know…you look just like your parents." Harry couldn't fight the watery laugh that escaped him. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"Oh…where's my grandmother?" Teddy asked in a timid voice. His eyes shifted to the door and held a nervous energy.

'He's scared,' Harry thought to himself. 'He's scared of me.'

"Oh…um she went to go rest…she wanted to give us time to talk." Harry said as he worked a smile onto his face.

"Oh…okay." Teddy supplied as he shifted uncomfortably and a silence settle over the room.

Harry observed the small way the boy kept himself guarded and kept looking anywhere but Hary.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner…and that I've…never….I should have known something was wrong when you didn't write back…but…" Harry began.

"Harry?" Teddy's question was a whisper. The boy's eyes were as round as saucers and his Hair shifted to a tumbled mess of black. A smile broke out on his face. Then Harry saw the glint of change shift the eyes of the boy's father to Harry's own color. "Harry!" the boy screamed as he began to try and move out of the bed.

Harry moved faster than he ever thought possible. He was on the edge of the bed pushing Teddy to lie back down before he knew what was happening. The boy had his arms around Harry's middle and was not letting go. Teddy was smiling up at him. A perfect little copy of Harry except for the green tint to his skin and the bumps on his face and neck.

"You came!" Teddy said smiling. "You came to see me!" The boy was so happy to see him.

"Yeah mate." Harry managed to get out as he stared down at Teddy. Harry raised his hand and pulled the boy closer to his chest as he placed his chin atop the boys head. He felt something akin to joy for the first time in years and the words were out of his mouth before he could think on them too much. "And you best get used to me. I'm not leaving anytime soon…." His eyes began to blur with tears as the boy's grip tightened even more. "I've missed too much already…" He felt himself smile as his chin wavered. "I've got so much to tell you about." He felt the boy begin to cry slightly and Harry allowed his own tears to fall finally

They sat like that for a while. Harry would sway a bit when the boy would sob. After a time Harry looked over at the sound of the door opening. Andromeda stood there smiling with a young woman in healer robes. Harry felt Teddy lean back. He turned and saw that the boy had kept Harry's hair and eyes.

"You're really staying?" The question was small and hopeful.

"Yes." Harry said instantly with a watery smile. "I've…I've got a good many things I'm going to have to clear up…and quite a few people are probably going to be angry with me, but I want you to know what you have done for me mate." Harry kept his smile and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. Teddy stared up at him with a wide-eyed expression. "You've given me back something I lost a long time ago…I can face my failures because of you…when you're older I'll explain it better, but…now…I just want you to know that the smile you gave me earlier is all I need." Harry leaned forward and gave the boy another hug. "I'm guessing your Gran and the healer need to speak with you." Harry looked over to Andromeda and the young woman. The young healer was unabashedly dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and Andromeda looked to be fighting to maintain her own dry eyes.

"Yes…" Andromeda said in a strained voice. "Teddy knows what time it is. They put the salve on just a little over ninety minutes ago young man."

Harry watched as the young healer moved over to the table next to the bed and Teddy's shoulders slumped.

"Sponge bath." Teddy said dejectedly as Harry stood from the bed.

"Theodore Lupin!" Andromeda said tightly.

"You know young Mr. Lupin, I have to fight off quite a few advances from other patients trying to get me to give them a sponge bath…but you seem set on hurting my feelings by rebuffing me every time." The young woman said smiling. "Oh…well. It's always the good ones who want nothing to do with me and my sponge." She joked and Teddy shyly blushed. "You know young man the best way to get rid of that green color and those pox is the potion in this water…but if you don't want it…" She turned as if to leave and Harry watched as Teddy quickly turned to her.

"No…I'm sorry Miss…I won't make a fuss anymore…I promise." Teddy said thoroughly guilted.

Harry watched the young woman turn back and walk to the small container of potion-water. She winked at Harry as she leaned down to Teddy.

"You're lucky you're so cute…looking like that and all." She said to a brightly blushing through the green skin Teddy.

"Yes…well Harry and I will step outside for a while…behave Teddy." Andromeda said not taking her eyes off Harry. She turned and left.

Harry looked over to Teddy and sent him a small smile before he followed.

* * *

As they sat outside Harry felt the need to express his sincerity to the woman.

"I meant it." He said catching her eye. "I'm not leaving again…I'm…"

"I know." She replied to him with a smile. "I wasn't lying when I told you I would let you leave…but I didn't tell you that if you left again I would burn every letter you sent before he saw them." She said with a serious expression. "I wouldn't let him build up hope on someone who hid from the world."

Harry stared at her for a moment before nodding.

"I…I…" He began.

"But I knew the moment you stepped into that room that you wouldn't leave. And just to make sure I sent Horace in to…encourage you." She smiled.

Harry could feel himself gape like a fish.

"Oh don't look so surprised dear." She smirked. "I was a Slytherin." She turned and sat in the chair next to the door and motioned for him to do the same in the other. As he sat she said, "I've seen that look on a man's face before." She looked off to the distance. "Yes, Ted had that same look when he saw Nymphadora…a man finding his reason."

She laughed to herself for a few moments as Harry watched her.

"The young man since that moment is not the young man I visited in his secluded hiding hole this morning." She turned back to him. "I may not have gotten to know you that well Harry, but I do know you from the people you've been hiding from." Harry tried to look down as she said this, but she gripped his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. "I know you from Hermione, Ginevra, Ronald, Molly, Arthur, Kingsley, Minerva, and quite a few others…and of course…I know you from Remus…and my daughter…and through them my dear cousin Sirius." She smiled to him. "I see that young man now. I saw him in that room clinging to my grandson and promising to face the hell he has built for himself…all to make my grandson happy." Her eyes took on a misty quality as she finished, "For that you have earned my forgiveness for leaving. But I expect you at every birthday, Christmas, Easter, and major event from this point forward."

Harry sat there as she released his chin. He had expected something from her, but that was not it. He had been expecting some form of anger or in the very least a cold, detached aloofness until she asked him to leave.

"I'm easy to please…at least when it comes to my grandson." She said drawing Harry from his thoughts. Her look downturned as she warned him, "Others will not be too pleased…they may not show it at first, but you know it's an uphill battle from here right?"

"I know…I can take their anger." Harry said resolutely.

"It's not just the anger I'm talking about Harry." Andromeda said softly. "Life is different for most of your friends. They've changed…can you handle that?" She asked.

Harry thought on her question. He understood things would change. People would change. He had decided early on not to question Teddy about his friends in their letters. Back then the changes were what would scare him most. But now he could face them. Even the ones he may have caused.

Harry looked back to Andromeda to answer but as he lifted his head his eyes caught the pairs of two others. Two people were staring intently at him unblinkingly. His surrogate parents.

"Harry?" Molly Weasley's whispered plea cut through the silence of the hallway. She began to walk towards him at an exponential speed.

He stood in time to feel her arms grip him bruising hug. He could feel her giving a few silent sobs as his eyes met Mr. Weasley's. The other man stood in his place with a small smile gracing his features and eyes that gave the tell-tale sign of nearing tears. Then all of a sudden Molly was holding him at arm's length.

"Just stop in for a visit then?" Her eyes were wet, but her voice held a heavy tinge of vitriol.

Harry felt himself stiffen under her gaze. The look of betrayal was overwhelming in her eyes. He felt nowhere nears his twenty-four years of age in that moment. He looked between the three of them.

"No…Mrs. Weasley." He started as he dropped his head to his chest. "I…I…" He tried to get out a thought, but felt her fingers pull his chin up. Her face was set hard. "I'm done…I'm done running…hiding…" He thought back to the look on Teddy's face. "I'm here…I'm not going back. On my life and magic I swear it." He felt his face turn hard and watched a smile bloom on Mr. Weasley's face. Andromeda allowed a smile onto her face as well. Mrs. Weasley kept her face stony for a second more as she searched his eyes. Then she reached a hand to his shaggy hair.

"This needs to go then. I don't like this…to long." She sniffed slightly.

Harry watched her for a second.

"Mrs. Weasley?" He began. Then Mr. Weasley was there. His arm wrapped around Harry's shoulders.

"Expect a talking to from the both of us Harry." The man said with a voice Harry had only heard when the man spoke to the Twins. "We have quite a few things we will need to talk about." The man let the hard tone go in the next words. "The important thing to us is that you will be here to talk."

Mrs. Weasley pulled his attention back to her.

"Whatever reason you left…did you figure it out…whatever it was?" She asked him.

Harry felt himself tearing up the instant her hand cupped his cheek. He shook his head.

"No…Mam…" He began.

She stopped him from saying anything else with a shush.

"We would forgive are children the world if they took it…" She kept his eyes. "Did you learn why it did nothing to leave like you did?...Why it only hurt everyone?" She asked.

He nodded. He couldn't speak. He felt the tears sliding faster down his face as her fingers met them in a wiping motion.

She smiled to him.

"Then our talk won't have to be too terse…You've learned your lesson…and despite how others are going to react you're planning to face the consequences of your actions." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head to her shoulder. "That is all we ask of our children…You're making us proud."

As soon as she said it, he felt the dam break. He let himself sob into her shoulder. Arthur had them both in his own covering hug.

* * *

His good cry had been interrupted by the young healer as she stepped from Teddy's room. After a few moments of regaining his wits he had rejoined the others in sitting with his Godson. Teddy had spent the entire time rapidly asking him question after question over all topics. Harry had tried to answer all the personal questions, but he saw the looks that would pass the others when he would sidestep a question or two.

It was early in the afternoon when he had just reached out to ruffle Teddy's hair that the door had swung open and the sound of four people filtered into the room. Even with his back to them he knew who three of them were. He could feel them…smell them.

Flowers and polish…Ginny.

Peppermint and parchment…Hermione.

Bacon and Mrs. Weasley's kitchen…Ron.

Harry closed his eyes as he felt Teddy begin swat his hand away.

"Uncle Ron!...Aunt Ginny!…Aunt Hermione!…Look Harry came!...Oh hey Miss Lavender." Harry felt the boy grip his wrist and hold it up as proof. "I told you he would!"

Harry noticed the quick hush that came over the new occupants of the room. Then as Harry opened his eyes he watched the smile fade from Teddy's face as the boy began to look between them.

"What's wrong….Look he's here…I told you…Harry?" Teddy looked up to him.

Harry let out a shaky breath as he kept Teddy's eyes.

"Teddy…you remember how earlier I told you people would be angry with me…" He waited until the boy nodded. "Well your Uncle and Aunts are some of the people I hurt the most when I left…and expect that it will be hard for them to be in the same room with me. And they have every right to feel that way." Harry stopped and gave the boy a tight smile.

"But they always talk about you…they always ask me how you are….they…" Teddy, for all of being six years old, seemed to understand the emotions in the room. "You're back…you said that you're not leaving…so they should be happy…I'm happy!" The boy's voice took on a very pleading nature.

Harry pulled Teddy to him in a hug.

"I'm not leaving….I promised you that…" Harry pulled back and held Teddy's shoulder while he met the boy's eyes. "But you see…I did one of the worst things a person can do…I left them…I didn't give them a proper goodbye…I just left a note and went away." Harry made sure Teddy kept eye contact with him. "But I want you to remember what I thanked you for earlier…do you remember." Harry saw him nod. "Good…because I'm going to need that in the next few days…so just keep giving me those smiles mate." Harry leaned forward for one more quick hug before looking to Andromeda and the Weasley parents. "I'm going to go and grab a cup of tea upstairs." He let out a shaky breath. "I stay up there for a while."

Harry turned slowly and caught his first glimpse in five years of the most important people in his life. In the quick moments of him viewing them he noticed the changes in each of them immediately.

Ron stood taller than he had five years ago. He had also filled out. No longer was he a complete string bean. His shoulders were wide set. His hair was surprisingly short on his head. Most surprising was the arm around Lavender and the ring on the hand hung from said shoulder.

Hermione stood shorter than he remembered, but he had grown a few inches in the first year he had left. Her hair was shorter as well, only hanging just to her shoulders. The curliness was still there, but was slightly muted by the pins that held her bangs from her face. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving, still the warm golden-flecked brown. Her small upturned nose had developed a few more small freckles along its ridge. She had also filled out slightly. There was a more feminine set to her stance, no longer hindered from hours of lugging a bag laden with books. What surprised Harry was the ring she also wore…and the hand that held hers…Ginny's.

Ginny had changed the most. Like Hermione her Hair now only hung to her shoulders. She had grown to stand at height with Hermione as well. Before she had held a willowy frame…coltish is the word Hermione had once used. Now though her hips flared, her waist thinned, and then she flared again. Her freckles had multiplied. Her eyes were the first to harden at the sight of him, but they were still the color of chocolate. She too wore a small ring on her hand.

Harry began to walk the moment he noticed Hermione and Ron's eyes tighten as well. He weaved around them walking past Lavender, whose eyes actually gave him the feeling of sympathy.

He walked. He walked as fast as he could. He could've used the lift, but the stairs seemed to be the fastest way. He found himself on the fifth floor in an empty tearoom sitting at a table. An elf popped in next to him and took his order of a strong Earl Grey. When she delivered the tea she waited a few minutes and met his eyes. He watched the recognition wash over the elf's face, and then he watched as she bowed to him with a smile. She said it was an 'honor' to serve the 'Great Harry Potter' before she popped out.

He sat and inhaled the heady aroma of the tea before sipping. He waited an hour and then a second. In total he ordered three more cups. Then the door opened and he knew without looking the three people who had just entered the room. He felt a ward go up and then a second. They meant to speak at that moment, and didn't want him to leave.

"Harry?" He heard the soft alto of Hermione's voice and relished the warm memories that sound brought back.

He turned and stood to face them. He took in the defensive set of both girl's shoulders and the way Ron was eyeing him.

"I'm not going to run." Harry said simply. "I…"

"Yeah…well have to be sure now, don't we…" Ron spat out. "Don't want you to go disappearing again before we say our peace."

"Ronald…we agreed to try and be civil." Hermione said putting a hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"You and Ron agreed to be civil…I have nothing to say to…him." Ginny's voice was hard and spiteful.

"Gin…" Hermione said softly as she took Ginny's hand. Harry watched the tenderness in Hermione's eyes as she pleaded with Ginny. "Please?"

"Fine." Ginny said with no venom.

"I'm sorry…I…don't know what else to say." Harry supplied before he could stop himself.

He watched as Ron rolled his eyes and Ginny scoffed. Hermione though stared straight through him.

"We didn't come to hear your apologies Harry." Hermione said. "We want answers." She moved herself and Ginny to the table he had vacated. "Now…we will all try to remain adults during this conversation." She motioned to Ron. The man moved around Harry and sat in the seat opposite his sister. "Harry, please sit." He looked to Hermione and moved to sit in the seat facing her.

"Okay…I…I'll try to answer your questions." Harry said and watched Hermione nod slightly as her eyes gave a hint of approaching wetness.

"Thank you." She said before moving to the first question. "Where have you been for the past five years?" Harry knew she was starting easy. She wanted to ease him into answering harder questions. The same way she used to handle him.

"Scotland." He started, "To be specific in a cabin a few kilometers away from Loch Lomond." He watched as the three shared a glance.

"Okay." Hermione said. "What have you been doing for the past five years?" Harry eyed her. She had made a list of questions. Of course she had made a list.

"Uh…well…" Harry tried to find a way to explain it. "To be honest…not much. I read. I think…and mostly I sit."

Harry watched as they digested his answer. Ginny looked upset. Hermione looked contemplative. But as he moved his attention to Ron the other man exploded.

"Oh bloody great!" Ron spat. "Run away and…sit." He snarled at Harry. "You make us all go batty with worry and all you do is sit?...go bugger yourself Harry." Ron stood so fast his chair overturns and he began to pace.

"Ronald!" Hermione said sharply.

"No Hermione." Ron defended himself. "He owes us a better answer than that." Ron stopped and roughly pulled the chair back up and spun it to face Harry as he sat. "So what is it mate…huh…discover some sort of merry band of Dark Lords to keep watch on?…Discover the cure for Lycanthropy?...Make a habitat for Blibbering Humdingers?...huh…what?" Ron pointed to him. "Because it had better have been something a hell of a lot better than sitting and thinking." Ron looked over to the side, and Harry watched as his jaw worked tightly. "How about we skip to the real questions?" Ron whipped his head to ask Hermione this, "He doesn't deserve this kind and easy shite you're giving him." Ron scooted closer as he put his face inches from Harry's. "So why the hell did you leave us?...was it that you thought what the hell Ron and his family already lost one member what's a second?" Harry began to feel his tenuous grip on his emotions slip as Ron barreled onto the next question. "You figure 'Hey, I already shagged Ginny might as well take my leave'?" Ron's voice had taken on a disgusted quality. "Maybe you figured you didn't need us…Hell what did we ever know about poor Harry anyway…It's not like any of us ever had to watch your dead body being carried by Hagrid…It's not like any of us felt like we had lost a piece of us already."

"Ron! stop it!" Hermione cried.

Harry felt his teeth grind and his own jaw muscles clench as he began to fight feelings he had long ago pushed down.

"No Hermione…I want to hear his answers." Ginny's voice was clear and her face was blank of emotion.

"I…I'm…" Harry tried.

"No…don't say you're bloody sorry!" Ron gripped Harry's shirt and pulled him to stand. "Hermione said answers…so you tell us why you abandoned us…What…poor us…never good nuff for Harry Potter."

"Ron…Please…" Harry tried again. Ron just shook him by his collar.

"No…answer…huh…Was it that…" Ron had just started to ask another damned question when Harry felt it. It was that same feeling he had the day he left. It was the same feeling he had for most of his first few months there…in his place.

"You want to know!" Harry screamed as he grabbed Ron's collar in retaliation. "I wasn't supposed to bloody live!...I wasn't supposed to walk away!"

Harry watched as Ron's face slackened with shock. "Huh…you want the truth?" Harry asked as saw Ron fall back into his seat. He turned and met the girl's eyes. "I was supposed to die! I was never supposed to come back...and not because of that damned prophecy...I just...I..." He knew began to sound insane by the way they watched him.

"I wasn't supposed to come back…" His voice cracked. "I wasn't supposed to have a future!...so yes… I ran…" He fell back into his seat and brought his hand to push his glasses from his eyes. He rubbed the worn-from-tears orbs.

"When we went to get your parents…that's when it started." He said as he looked to Hermione. "I…I started to see them…everyone...we would pass by someone and all of a sudden they would be Fred...Tonks…I even saw Cedric a few times." He looked to them and saw tears in both Hermione and Ginny's eyes. "I felt them…and everything started becoming my fault." He looked away.

"You two broke up." He pointed to Ron and Hermione. "And I could barely talk with you." He motioned towards Ginny. "And then I started getting sensitive to everything…every little sound and I jumped…every time I rounded a corner and a smell hit me...I froze up." He shook his head.

"I couldn't sleep without seeing everyone…and then I would see him…Riddle…he would stand there and he would tell me my part was over…I had lived my purpose." Harry lifted his head to the ceiling and let out a breath. "And then I was angry…so bloody angry for no reason…and then I was afraid of the anger." He looked back to them. "Then there was nothing…I wasn't angry…or sad…afraid…nothing…I felt serene…it was like the last time I spoke with Dumbledore…that's when I left."

Harry breathed a sigh. He had not expected this to be such a cathartic release. He had spent so much time dealing with those problems internally, but saying them aloud with these people felt so much better.

"And the will?" His head snapped to Hermione as she asked this.

"What will?" Ginny and Ron asked in unison as they looked between Harry and Hermione..

"Hermione." Harry shook his head slightly as a plea for her not to pursue that question.

"The will you had drawn up the day you left Harry…why did you do that?" She asked. "Don't bother trying to avoid it Harry. I know…You put my name as executor of the Potter account."

"Hermione…I…" Harry began, but dropped his head as he let out a huff. He then looked up and saw Ginny's pleading look, Ron shaking his head to Harry in denial, and finally Hermione's warm eyes. "You know why."

In the silence that followed he allowed himself to go back to that day.

* * *

He had woken up early. The day before he had sat down with Goldhand, his account manager, and drawn up a will. He had given Teddy the Black family vault. The Potter vault would go to Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys. He had broken up with Ginny more than a month earlier.

He had slipped past Hermione's room, then Ron's, and finally past Teddy's. He should have felt something as he walked past, but he hadn't. He hadn't felt anything for weeks.

It was early enough to not have to worry about Hermione getting ready to Floo to Hogwarts for classes.

When he apparated he half-hoped he would end up splinched, considering he had not planned his destination. But he found himself in a small glen.

He had known he was in Scotland by the drop in temperature. He stood as the sun rose over the hills and shined over a Loch.

He had held his wand to his throat for close to twenty minutes. Every time he would begin an incantation though, his voice would crack. He had begun to try and force a spell through the wand by sheer force, but only a spark would come.

He eventually began to fire every destructive spell he could think of on the trees and brush around him.

An hour later the clearing looked as if a dragon had torn through it. And Harry. Harry had found himself kneeling on a patch of grass, crying. His breathing was labored and he was hoarse.

He had given up. He considered just sitting there and dying of exposure. Then he saw them.

It was some sort of sprite. A group of tiny glowing creatures began to fix the damage he had caused.

One had come to him and hovered for a few seconds before flying over to the grassy knoll that had gone untouched by him. It glowed bright for a moment before joining the others.

Without knowledge of his own plans Harry had stood and apparated. He had found himself outside the door of Gringotts. He walked in and moved to the teller stand to…

* * *

"No…" Ginny's voice broke Harry's memory. "Harry…" Her eyes pleaded with him. It looked as if they were asking him to say 'Gotcha'.

Harry just looked down to his hands.

"Git." Ron's voice cut loud through the room. "Bloody selfish bastard." Harry heard the chair squeak on the floor as he felt hands grab his collar again. "You…stupid…cock-arsed…Prick!" Ron was hunched over and glaring down at him.

"Ron…" Harry said.

"No…" Ron roughly ground out as Harry felt the hands on him loosen slightly. "No you don't get to sit there and…" Ron chin quivered and Harry noticed the flood of tears start. "You don't get to play this off." Ron's voice broke. "You staying away for five years…we'll talk about that…but this…you don't get a pass Harry."

"Ron…I…I…" Harry tried to look down, but Ron gripped his head on both sides.

"Talk to us now…like you should have then." Ron said. "Please?"

Harry nodded. He looked to the other two when Ron let go of him. Hermione's face was tear stained, but welcoming. Ginny looked distraught. Their hands were intertwined.

"I didn't try again after that." Harry started. "I thought about it…but I didn't try it." He lifted his hand to wipe a tear away. "Those first few months I barely did anything…I didn't eat…I barely slept." He paused and took a breath. "I started to think about everyone who died…really think about them…and I read the letters." Harry smiled. "Those were what stopped me from thinking about it." He saw them look between one another. "When Hermione sent me Copernicus…I tried…I tried to write. Then the letters stopped." Harry turned to look at the wall to his right. "I started so many letters…when I got angry at myself I would walk outside…I would stand at the edge of my wards and think about leaving…coming back…and then I could feel it. This looming shame…this feeling. I was supposed to die…and I had." Harry shifted in his chair. "Teddy was just a baby when I left…he didn't know me…he could live without me…" He shook his head. "By that point three years had gone by…and I finally got a new letter. Teddy." He smiled. "It was written in crayon…and had a picture of him and Andromeda."

Harry felt himself tear up.

"I had just gotten groceries when the owl found me." His voice broke as he let out a small sob. "I stood there for Merlin knows how long looking at that paper." He wiped a hand over each cheek. "After that I was…back, well as close to being back as I had been in a long time." Harry allowed his eyes to close. "I started to want something again…and then I started to think about each of you…and life…living wasn't so foreign…I thought about…so much…" He smiled to them. "And then Andi shows up this morning…and…and now."

He smiled.

"Okay…listen…mate." Ron began. "You and I? Well I'm not over this…by a long shot." Ron smiled. "But I am happy you're alive and here for me to be pissed at." Ron pulled him up and into a hug. "I know you're going to be staying at Grimmauld…I'll be by to talk…now I need to run downstairs and get my wife home before she gets too attached to that little sprog and starts talking about how she wants one of her own." Ron said with a grin as he moved to the door and the wards fell.

Harry watched Ron leave with his head reeling over the confirmation of his suspicions from earlier. Ron was married to Lavender.

"We should be leaving as well." Hermione's voice drew him back to the other two. "All of us. Visiting hours will be over soon…and my parents are expecting me…and Ginny." Hermione finished in a light voice as she laid a hand on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny moved forward and stopped in front of Harry. She placed a hand on either side of his face and met his eyes. They stood like that for a minute until Ginny had found whatever she had been looking for. She pulled him down into a hug.

"So many things have changed Harry." She whispered into his ear. "But I see you…I see the real you now." She pulled back and touched her forehead to his…and he felt something. "You don't leave us again…You do that to her…" She motioned to Hermione. "Or me again and I'll find you." She kissed his cheek before she moved to the door leaving a white hot flame in the spot her lips had touched.

As Harry turned from watching Ginny, he caught Hermione's eye. Her eyes were still wet.

"Her…" He started to say her name, but found himself cut off. Within the blink of an eye, arms were around him and he was knocked back slightly as he felt something he hadn't in a long time. His heart, he was pretty sure, both skipped a beat, and pumped twice in the same instance. Unconditional love. He had forgotten what it felt like. Hermione had always been the person who gave it to him.

His own arms wound around her as he felt himself drown in that peppermint smell. They stood like that for few minutes. His nose in her hair. Each of them tightening their grips ever so slightly. He had never needed words with her. Not really.

Then for the seconds before she finally let up he felt it. That same small tug that he had when he had hugged Ginny. Only slightly stronger.

* * *

Harry found himself outside the cabin.

He had left soon after Hermione and Ginny had each kissed Teddy goodbye. Molly and Arthur had stayed and given him hugs as well. Teddy had wanted him to stay, but he explained that if he was going to stay he would need his things. The boy had been on the verge of tears. Harry in the end had pulled off the watch that had once belonged to Fabian Prewitt and told Teddy that he had not taken that watch off for nearly seven years. And that he expected it back the moment he saw Teddy again tomorrow. The boy had smiled and gripped the watch tight.

The cabin was packed up. All his belonging already shrunk and placed in the boxes next to him. Copernicus was in flight to Grimmauld. The building was actually only the size of half of his living room, but with the plethora of expansion charms on the structure Harry had lived in grandeur that was too much for one person. The Goblins had really outdone themselves when they had it made for him.

He lifted his wand and sent a _incendio_ to it, and watched as the wards began to shift. Soon the building folded into self and Harry heard the wards strain. Then all that was in front of him was a large pile of ash, smoking lightly.

Harry bent down and stacked the three boxes on top of one another and apparated away with them.

* * *

_**From the Author: Hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. What are your thoughts?**_

_**~A Vagrant Boy~**_


	2. Change Over Time

**_Disclaimer: I neither own, nor claim to own the source material that this fanfiction is based on._****_Congratulations to those that do._**

**First Time in a While:**

**Part 2: Change Over Time**

* * *

**Section 1: A Week Gone By**

The first week back in the world for Harry was one of extreme anxiety. The first two days were nothing less than absolute terrors as he sat next to Teddy's bed in St. Mungo's. Most of the time the boy was asleep, and Harry would mentally berate himself for his haste in burning down his quiet haven. He was also sure that the next time he stepped into Gringotts the Goblin's would be a bit miffed at his treatment of one of their best works.

He had refused to go to Grimmauld place until Teddy was well enough to be released into Andromeda's care. He had a feeling that Andromeda knew that he was afraid of leaving the hospital, mainly due to the fact that the press was barred from climbing higher than the first floor.

Arthur and Molly had spent time with him and Teddy as well, but they were the only ones to visit during the last phase of Teddy's illness. The Weasley parents had been forced to comfort Teddy when it was explained that his "Tori" would not be visiting him. The pout the boy had developed (slightly over-exaggerated thanks to his heritage) had nearly killed Harry.

The one problem Harry had been forced to put up with at St. Mungo's was the constant stream of female (and a surprising number of male) Healers and Medi-witches passing by the room with lingering stares in his direction. Andromeda had been vocal in her amusement over the situation.

His temporary shield from stepping away from the hospital had been ripped away when Teddy was cleared to leave the hospital with only a few warnings about watching for sparks during sneezes and not picking at the few raised pox marks left on his cheeks.

Harry's entrance into Grimmauld Place was more horizontal than he would have liked, but he considered it better than he honestly should have expected given the amount of time it had been since he had Floo'd anywhere. Teddy had laughed when he had quite simply followed Andromeda through without even a slight pause in his walk.

The one glaring thing that Harry had forgotten about this re-entry into Grimmauld was the very hard, glaring face of Kreacher. The elf had treated Harry with a remarkable cold shoulder for the first two days of Harry's stay in Grimmauld.

For the first two days the old house was quiet, and allowed Harry time to slowly walk through the home that used to be Sirius' prison. Andromeda had really taken to heart his request that she make it a real home.

The entire house no longer bore any dark shades of black or grey. In their place were warm and light blues, creams, splashes of red, and a few greens depending on what floor someone was on at the time. The walls held pictures of events Harry had missed. Teddy growing up, Teddy resting in Andromeda's arms next to Bill and Fleur as they held their young daughter, Hermione holding Teddy with Ginny next to her making faces at Teddy, Ron lifting Teddy over his head much to the discomfort of the women in the background. But pushing past his guilt Harry saw the joy in all their faces. In all Harry enjoyed the light airy-ness that completed the house now.

In a fitting change, Teddy's room was Sirius' old one. Copernicus had set himself on a perch on the opposite side of the door. In the place of the old pin-ups were banners posters for the Holyhead Harpies (one containing Ginny), the Cannons (Teddy said that was a gift from Ron), and a few of Puddlemere United. On his small desk were piles of letters in neat stacks piled up against the backing board. Every letter Harry had sent looked to be lovingly handled and read multiple times. Harry had nearly lost it when Teddy had smiled and put the ones Harry had sent while the boy was stuck in the hospital on the top of the smallest stack. The boy had smiled and taken Harry on a tour of the rest of the house making sure to show Harry the library that had been re-modeled and frequented by Hermione on many occasions according to Teddy.

Harry had luckily avoided being spotted by the Prophet the few days he was there, but he did notice the headlines all questioning if he had really returned. He also noticed that everyone he had been friends with and a few he hadn't been on good terms with had been contacted, but had not answered the reporters' questions.

On the third day of his stay at Grimmauld, his sixth since the morning Andromeda had found him, Ron showed up for the talk he promised.

* * *

Andromeda had pulled Teddy from the sitting room to give them time to talk, but neither he nor Ron had said a single word as Kreacher set down a tray of tea and biscuits on the table next to them. A chess set lay between them on the small table where Harry had been focusing his gaze.

"Thanks Kreacher." Harry said to the elf, and to his surprise he received acknowledgement in the form of a nod with a small smile from Kreacher.

"Thanks mate." Ron said to Kreacher as he reached for a biscuit. Kreacher nodded to Ron before popping from the room softly.

"So…" Harry tried to start.

"I'm sorry for how I said what I said…and for some of what I said." Ron quickly interrupted before Harry could finish his thought.

"Ron…I mean…you weren't wrong on some it." Harry supplied.

"Maybe…but I am by no means the person to say what I said to you…" Ron hung his head slightly as he said this. "I had no right to say some of those things…I just…some of it was my own anger, but the rest…" Ron ran his hand over his face. "Look after you left…Ginny…Hermione…they were a mess…Mum and Dad were fretting every time I saw them." Ron paused and poured himself a cup as breathed slowly. "I was fine…for the most part. I knew I had no room to judge you for running. I just sort of threw myself into working at the shop and helping George, but the rest of them."

The silence hung for a while. Ron set the pieces up on the board, and a slow game of chess started.

Ron laughed when Harry moved his rook to cover Ron's knight.

"You're better than you used to be." Ron said with a small grin.

"Yeah." Harry said.

They continued to play working their way around the pieces on the board and around the conversation that was building.

"So you and Lavender?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah, me and Lav…though don't ask how it started." Ron gave a smile. "If I took the chance for her to tell the story, I would be sleeping in the shop for a few nights." Ron laughed at his joke slightly, "But I will tell you that she is the reason I'm so calm now…after…well after, she and I just…fit…you know. Hermione calls her my natural calming draught."

Harry watched as Ron analyzed the board. The other man was still guarded in his posture. His shoulders were stiff and his normally expressive face was set in a mask of focus.

"You know Mum expects you at Roast on Sunday?" Ron asked as he took Harry's pawn.

"Yeah…she told me…and Andromeda told me…and Teddy told me." Harry exhaled.

"Well…I wouldn't worry much…" Ron paused and breathed out, "well worry a little. Merlin knows how many tears you're going to have to swim through…mainly Mum's and probably some of Fleur's…she's pregnant again. George is taking bets on if it's another girl."

"Oh…well. Cheers for Bill and Fleur. And you, you get to be an uncle again." Harry supplied with as chipper a voice as he could.

"Yeah, yay for me…the moment Fleur goes and has that sprog, I'm going to have to deal with Lavender giving me those bloody eyes…shoulda seen her after Angie and George had Fred…a bloody nightmare that was." Ron said as he sipped his tea.

Harry hesitated in the middle of moving his remaining knight to cover his queen. "Yeah Teddy wrote me about that." He exhaled loudly as he set the piece down and slumped into the back of his chair. "I…bloody piss…I've missed so much." He let his head fall against the resting back of the chair.

"Yeah…you have." Harry looked back as Ron said the words. "Look mate, I've had a lot of time…and a lot of different speeches for the next time I saw you…but…after what Hermione said…after what you said…well all my petty anger seem a bit stupid now."

"Ron…look don't…" Harry began.

"No, let me say this…I've been working on this one since our last talk, Lavender's helped me a bit with it." Ron set his shoulders. "I've never been the best friend to you…I've been a petty git and a jealous prat. But after you left. I really started to see…I started to see what I had. My family. All of them. What I grew up with, and what I never had to live without." Ron overtook his defense and began to bare down on his queen. "I mean I knew what I had before, but I never really understood. That's why I was fine when you left…well fine might not be the best way to say it. I was…what's the word Hermione would use…contemplative…yeah contemplative about it."

Ron moved his knight into position. "I thought about how if I didn't have everyone…and if I couldn't…well…" Ron met Harry's eyes. "I don't know everything…about you…about the Dursley's." Harry dropped his head and felt a bit of old shame creep up. "But I do know what we all expect…and if it's half as bad as that…I could understand why you didn't come to us when you started having problems."

Ron took Harry's queen. "Then I got together with Lav, and I had someone to really talk to about everything. She helped me through most of it." Ron moved his own queen into a flank of Harry's king. "I went through fits when I'd be angry at you, then myself for being angry at you, then I would feel like shite because I couldn't talk to you. I nearly drank myself blind on your birthday two years ago. Hermione and Ginny found me at the Hog's Head, Lavender wasn't too happy about that." Ron paused and ran his hand through his hair. "Things haven't been right…for so long. They've been okay…but when the family is together…we're missing Fred…and you." Ron put his last rook in position and Harry found himself in checkmate. "Then you're here again…and I wanted to throttle you, but then you drop 'that' on us." Ron moved his hand toward Harry. "Hermione obviously knew…she always knew more when you were involved." Ron shook his head at Harry. "Then I started to really remember you for those last months before you left."

Ron put his head into his hands as he leaned over. "I'm sorry I didn't notice…that I was too much in my own world." Ron lifted his head back towards Harry. "It may take five years…it may take ten…but you and me…we're going to get back there Harry…and then we're going to get better than we were mate…I promise you. It won't be just you…I've got a lot of things to fix between us. But all that guilt you've been carrying. That look on your face when I walked in…that goes now. You and me mate. I'm standing next to you, and I swear I will never step out on our friendship again. And when Lav eventually decides she actually wants a kid, I expect you standing next to me in Mungo's making sure I don't sodding faint. All right?"

Harry couldn't do anything but stare for a few minutes at Ron. He was pretty sure Ron had never spoken that long for that many consecutive sentences in their entire time knowing each other. After he was finally able to regain his wits over the situation he simply nodded to Ron.

Ron smiled and nodded towards the board. "You need to work on your defense a bit more, but you have gotten better."

"Ron, I…thanks." Harry said lamely.

"Well, Mum and Dad have already forgiven you…Andromeda is obviously okay with everything…so that's all I need…well that and the fact that I know you're going to have to deal with Hermione and Ginny." Ron said with a grimace.

Harry himself couldn't help but match Ron's expression. Ron then looked down to his watch.

"Okay mate, I should be getting to the shop…best not to leave George there by himself for too long." Ron said as he stood. "We'll see you at Roast, okay?"

Harry nodded to Ron. "Of course." He said as he shook Ron's hand.

Ron's face then took on a feral grin, "You know there is one thing I expect Mum will make you do, but I'll leave that a surprise for you on Sunday…just expect an early roosting that day." Was all Ron said before he disappeared into the Floo.

The remaining part of the week for Harry was both amazing and frightening in that Harry enjoyed the constant high that Teddy seemed to be on and that Harry kept feeling a tug at odd intervals. His worry was at its height before he went to sleep on Saturday night.

Sunday morning though he was in a truly terrifying position.

* * *

**Section 2: Lavender Brown, With The Scissors, In Arthur's Study**

Harry was quite apprehensive about his current position.

Molly had pulled him from his bed at Grimmauld early in the morning and shoved him through the Floo as soon as he had showered and dressed in the clothes she had put in his hands. He had been made to sit opposite Helen Granger as Molly placed a plate piled high with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and white pudding in front of him. He then had been made to finish the entire plate as Molly and Helen tutted over his appearance, all the while acting as if he was not in the room. As soon as he had finished Molly had hoisted him from his seat and forced him into Arthur's study. Inside the study he was faced with the sight of Lavender Brown…now Weasley holding a pair of scissors and standing next to a chair.

"Well dear, as I have said…Andi and Helen agree. We do not like the length that your hair has grown to." Molly said from behind him. "So my lovely daughter-in-law has agreed to fix the problem." She took his face in her hands and forced him to meet her eyes. "Now sit and don't come out until Lavender has made this mop into something respectable."

With her peace said Molly hurriedly made her way back to the kitchen, closing the door to the study in the process.

Harry turned to Lavender who had conjured a mirror to stand in front of the chair.

"Oh no need to look so scared Harry, it's just a nice trim. " She said and as if to emphasize her point she quickly snipped the air between the scissors in quick succession.

"Yeah…right." Harry said before he took a deep breath and moved to sit in the chair.

"Well, let me have a proper look at you then." Lavender said as she pulled a stool in front of him and sat down. She reached up and brushed his fringe away from his face.

"I understand now…" she smiled at him, "why you always kept your hair like you did." She motioned to the scar that crept along her neck.

Harry took a good look at the scars that still looked fresh and felt a bit of guilt creep up.

"None of that." Lavender said lightly, "This was hardly your fault…Greyback was the only one who I could blame for this."

At the wording of her statement he looked up. "Was?"

"Oh yeah…he apparently didn't like the thought of his former pack, yes he had a pack outside of the ones who were at the battle, they were younger…mostly children…" she tilted her head to the side and pushed some of his hair behind his ear, "well they decided to turn themselves into the ministry…they all ended up being taken care of. Most of them went to a new program for afflicted youth, Hermione set it up of course, and the others went to families willing to take them in." She smiled. "The bastard got so angry he attempted to break out of his cell…his cell that was coated completely in silver with protruding barbs." Lavender leaned back and seemed to be judging her needed work. "Bill and I celebrated that night. Turns out there were a few others that Greyback had hurt…and well we have a sort of…support group now. Once again Hermione set that up of course." She shook her head.

Harry wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to respond. He more than happy to admit a certain amount of glee hearing that Greyback was dead. The werewolf that had given Remus his affliction was dead, the man that had harmed both Lavender and Bill was dead…he was more than happy about that.

"Enough of that unpleasant talk." Lavender said as she slapped her lap and stood. "What are we thinking Harry?" She moved around him and met his eyes in the mirror. "How short do you want to go?" She waggled her eyebrows and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm not sure." Harry replied. "It's been a while since I've had it cut obviously, but I don't know." He kept her eyes as she tilted her head and gave him a smile. Harry felt odd. He and Lavender had never been particularly friendly before, but now, for no reason at all, he actually felt comfortable around her. "Maybe I should just leave it up to you."

"Really?" She asked with a wide smile stretching across her face. "Well then…," she tapped her forefinger against her chin, "how about we wash it properly first…because whatever it is you've been using is absolutely wrong. Then we can cut it to one length and if you feel up to it we can go shorter." She said rapidly all the while combing her fingers through his hair.

"Sounds good to me." He smiled and enjoyed when she gave him a satisfied grin.

He watched her through the mirror as she took out her wand and conjured something behind him. Then he felt the chair he was in lean back and suddenly his head was in the groove of a porcelain basin. She pulled the glasses from his face and set them on the edge of Arthur's desk.

"Well then," She began as she started to use a silent _augmenti _to wet his hair, "Let's catch you up shall we…I'm working at Witch Weekly now...junior fashion editor. Ronald, as you know, is still working at the shop, but he's actually part of the invention process now." Harry had a hard time paying attention because whatever Lavender was using to wash his hair was tingling slightly, but in a very relaxing way. "He and George are actually working on a new chess set…but they aren't talking to me or Angelina about it too much yet." He felt her hands stop, and as he opened his eyes he saw her shaking her head with a smile. "No falling asleep on me…Ronald falls asleep whenever I do this, but you don't get to."

"Yes ma'am." Harry replied instinctively and felt a small smile wind its way onto his face. Then he remembered what Ron had told him. "You and Ron?"

"Yes, me and Ron." She smiled and looked back to his eyes. "He likes to act all big and tough, but you know he took you leaving hard right?" Her smile didn't leave, but Harry could see the sincerity of the question.

"Yeah…I know…I" Harry tried to start.

"It's okay." She smiled. "You're back now and won't be allowed to leave again." Her voice held no room for question. Then she stilled her hands again for a moment before restarting her ministrations. "I know something else happened…something that Ron, Ginny and Hermione know, but aren't telling us." She paused and looked at him. "Whatever it was I'm just glad you're here to receive your punishing haircut." She murmured a spell under her breath and Harry felt his hair stand on end for a moment before settling.

"Oh yes, me and Ron-Ron." She continued with a smile. "Well it was three and a half years ago. Vati and I were in Diagon doing a bit of shopping. I was finally getting over my problems with crowds thanks to Bill. There I was enjoying a nice outing, when out of nowhere I run into Ronald…he hadn't been seen much outside of the shop and at Ginny's games. But we ran into each other and he was so cute with his red face and stammering." She giggled, "I mean really, he and I spent a good part of sixth year snogging and there he was blushing like a schoolboy." Her face took a faraway look for a moment. "Well Vati decided that she really needed to get back to work at that moment and made sure that Ronald would accompany me to lunch…and the rest is history." She laughed. "It took a year for him to propose, but we've been happy ever since."

Harry took in the smile she was wearing, thought back to the way they stood with each other, and the way Ron had been during their visit. "You're good for each other…I'm happy." Harry said softly.

Lavender surprisingly blushed. "Yes, we are." She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong we do fight. That man is stubborn as all can be, but I love him." She gave him a grin, "And due to my nature the make-ups are thankfully quite good." She laughed.

Harry felt himself blush slightly, but couldn't hold back the bark of laughter that seemed to come straight from his stomach. He chuckled for a few minutes before he noticed that Lavender was looking at him softly. "What?" He asked slightly self-conscious.

She shook her head and put a towel behind his head. "I didn't expect you to laugh…none of us ever really got to see you laugh." She smiled and had a bit of mist in her eyes. "I'm just happy you're okay." She made him sit up as she banished the basin and stepped behind him. "I was a young girl not ready for the reality of the world when you left. And I had no real idea as to who you were other than a target of all the gossip at Hogwarts. Now though, I'm me and you are someone I am personally looking forward to really getting to know." She patted his shoulder and then conjured a brush to run through his shaggy hair. "Let's get you caught up on everyone else first though."

"I'm looking forward to getting to know you too Lavender." He smiled, "Start with anyone you want."

She smiled and began to run the brush through his messy locks. "Well, Neville has become quite the story of success." She giggled, "The poor lad is dealing with the adoring eyes of schoolgirls year round. He's Professor Sprout's apprentice, and will be taking over as Herbology instructor at the end of this year." She moved the brush slowly past all of his kinks. "He is also husband to one Hannah Abbott. They actually started dating right after you left. Vati made the robes for their wedding."

She stepped around him and picked up the scissors. "I guess that brings us to Vati," she moved back around him and began pulling up bits of his hair and gauged the length before cutting, "She is actually a tailor and designer for Madame Malkin's now, and…well as my best friend and a brilliant designer, she gets highlights in every few issues of Witch Weekly." She smiled conspiratorially as she said this, "To my absolute horror she has been single for quite a while now." She huffed, "No interesting or sordid tales for her married friend." She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Now Padma on the other hand…now there is a girl with all kinds of juicy gossip about her." Lavender grinned feral. "Let's just say Vati has on more than one occasion gone to Padma's apartment and found a certain former Ravenclaw of the male persuasion doing just the most…naughty things to her sister." Harry felt his eyes bulge and heard Lavender's laugh at his look. "Well it would be one thing if it wasn't straight laced Terry Boot, but they also happen to be co-workers in the international liaison office at the ministry."

She stayed quiet for a moment before continuing, "Luna's doing quite well. She and her father still put out the Quibbler." She moves in front of him and begins to cut his bangs. "She technically works at the ministry for the Department of Magical Creatures, but I think she only started there to get their travel expenses to fund her trips." She smiles down at him. "Let's see, Dean is doing quite well. He actually owns a gallery in Diagon, and has a studio set up inside. He teaches and paints there. He, of course, is enjoying a bachelor's life for the moment." She gives her head a shake. "You would be surprised at how many witches fall for the whole artist looking for a muse drivel he puts out there." Her face then took a frown.

"Seamus is doing better...there was a problem a few years back for him. Dreamless-sleep draught and a few others. Luckily when he didn't show up for drinks with Dean and a few others they went to his flat." She gave a grimace to Harry as she snipped his hair on the sides, "No one knew he was taking so many or that he was having problems. He was one of the ones that the Carrows loved to single out. But luckily St. Mungo's has a really good program for that, and he's doing much better like I said." She smiled slightly, "He's even dating Susan Bones. Quite the pair they are…loud is actually a better description. Shy Susan Bones is actually quite loud" Lavender gave him a significant look. "Let's just say they are very passionate people and have no problem resolving their issues in a public place…or in the restroom of a public place with the door locked or unlocked."

Harry once again laughed. Lavender placed her hands on his shoulders. "Well the preliminary cut is done. But we both know it will need to be much, much shorter for Molly to be happy."

Harry turned his head and gauged the length. With his hair still touching the nape of his neck and his bangs still covering the tops of his eyes he agreed. "Shorter then."

"Okay…" She moved the hair from his forehead revealing the now faint scar. "How about I catch you up on the Weasley family gossip then?" she smiled and let his hair fall back into place. With her scissors cutting once again she began.

"Well as you know, Arthur and Molly are fine. Especially with little Teddy, Tori, and Fred to spoil." She smiled, "Now that Fleur is expecting again Molly is even happier…don't tell anyone but I'm pretty sure Angelina is going to be announcing again soon. She's had that glow about her." Lavender whispered the last part. "George and Angie are doing fine. They've always been good for one another…well actually more it's her keeping him in line, but they play off each other well."

"Percy, while technically single, has been very quiet for the past few Roasts. I'm putting my money on him bringing a date very soon." She shrugged, "Well I also happen to have seen him with a pretty little blonde out around Knightsbridge a few weeks ago when I was with Vati doing our monthly window shopping. They were all snuggled into each other…cozy-like and staring at one of the window displays."

Lavender began cutting longer strands at a time.

"Oh…I know the tidbit you haven't been told." She once again gave him that smile, "Charlie is being pressured by Molly to propose to his girlfriend of two years…" Lavender let the sentence hang as she snipped a few stray strands, "Daphne Greengrass." Harry felt his jaw drop. "Oh I know right!" She lightly slapped his shoulder and Harry snapped his mouth shut in embarrassment. "That's what I did when they showed up together to Roast a year and a half ago." She shook her head, "Turns out though, she is quite lovely. Hermione and Ginny actually introduced them." She laughed to herself for a moment. "Daphne is the one who stepped in and saved Charlie's bill on preservations in Britain from a few opponents in the Wizengamot. And according to her, he was very…appreciative." Lavender chuckled.

"And of course I have to tell you about the quintessential couple." She rolled her eyes as she said this. "Bill and Fleur…ugh! I swear if I didn't know and love them, I would hate them." She brushed away some of the hair that had fallen on his shoulders. "They can be nauseating around each other…especially when Fleur is pregnant. I swear when Bill was helping me through my first few full moons I nearly vomited from the goofy smile he wore when she would pass by…and now nearly six years later it's the same." She sighed in exasperation and then set the scissors back down as she brushed his hair.

He stared at himself in the mirror and actually enjoyed the look of his hair. It was much nicer than what it had looked like before…actually it looked better than his hair had ever looked. But still…it didn't feel right. Neither his hair nor her catch-up was done quite yet.

Lavender caught his eye and smirked. "Let's see…did I forget anything Harry?"

He stopped himself from saying something snarky, and merely spun the chair to face her. He simply watched her for a few moments. He felt the tug again. "How are 'they'?" he asked her.

"Picked up on the fact that they are a 'they' did you?" Lavender gave him a sincere smile. "They are good…very good actually." Her head tilted as he felt her give him a judging look. "Do you have a problem that they are 'they'?" she asked with a defensive edge to her voice.

"If they're happy why would I have a problem?" he said without having to think.

"Just making sure. Good answer." She smiled at him as she leaned against Arthur's desk. "It's not like the muggle world. We've always been more open to freedom of love without it having to be just a man and a woman, but there are still a few people who make a fuss." She must have noticed the scowl that sprouted on his face when she mentioned people making a fuss. "Zacharias…Smith. He worked for the Prophet when they got together…He apparently felt it was his business to be in theirs."

"Ruddy little bastard…" Harry felt his ire rise.

"Oh don't worry…he no longer works at the Prophet…and he longer feels the need to pry into other people's lives." She smiled at him. "You didn't forget that this is Hermione and Ginny we're talking about did you?" She moved over and ran her hand through his hair again. "Normally I wouldn't gossip about those two…but considering it is you…I'll risk it."

She gave him a sad smile, "They took you leaving really hard…much harder than anyone else." Lavender pulled the stool back around to sit. "They both isolated themselves for a while…well emotionally that is." Harry made to let his head fall, but Lavender caught his chin. "Hey, just listen okay." He nodded, "Ginny got picked up as a reserve chaser for the Harpies…she did well too, but a year into her playing she had to sub in for another player against the Tornadoes. She ended up taking a bludger to her right hip."

Harry felt his stomach drop. He knew she was fine. She was up and walking a week ago, but still.

"She needed someone to help her after the incident, and though Molly insistently tried to offer her help, Ginny didn't want to be coddled. Poor girl couldn't walk properly for three months and needed someone to stay with her." She smiled as she tilted her head.

"Hermione had just decided move out of her parents' house and offered to stay with Ginny in Holyhead. She said that with work only a Floo trip away it would be perfect. To be honest we all knew they just wanted to be away from the looks and the reporters." Lavender shifted on the stool. "Hermione was in the middle of making the law that would set up the Lycanthropy Afflicted Treaty in the Wizengamot and…well there was a lot of speculation about them that year, but I don't think any of us were surprised when they came to one of the Roasts and announced that they were going to have a bonding ceremony the next week." She smiled. "I was one of Hermione's Bridesmaids. It was a lovely ritual. They are brilliant together." Lavender then stood and moved towards the door. "I'm going to go check in with Molly real fast…do you want anything."

He watched her leave as he shook his head in reply. Then he turned the chair back to the mirror and put his glasses back on. He wished that the object, though conjured, would be the long lost other half of the Mirror of Erised to show him his heart's desire. The tug felt as if were nearly pulling him from the chair. He reached up and rubbed the area above his heart. He watched his reflection in the mirror. The haircut really was nice. Inside his head he felt a high tide of thoughts crashing against something he had long ago quarantined. He wasn't sure if the mental shields he had built were strong enough to constrain his feelings at this point. Harry's heart both ached and felt full for the first time in so long. His loved ones were happy, but he had missed out on so much.

He tried to imagine himself as part of the many pictures hanging in Grimmauld Place and the few he had noticed lining the walls of Arthur's study. But it felt wrong to him. It was fake, and even in his imagination his superimposed image in the photos was not welcomed.

Harry shook his head. The time for his guilt and self-induced isolation was over. He had made a decision and he was not going to back out of it.

Inside the mindscape he had created a little over three years ago he found the bricked up room where he had placed those terrifying hopes; the ones he promised himself to never approach again. At the time of the promise he had never intended to return to this place, and just two days prior he had reaffirmed his decision to never open it even if he was back in this land of possibilities.

But at that moment, Harry did what he was once known for the most. He went with his impulse. He reached out and pulled one of the bricks from the corner. Nothing major, but a start.

In his mind the brick was heavy and rough to the touch, but the feeling from the small opening it left was worth leaving trepidation behind for that moment. He had blocked the mere glimpse of hope and happy futures for so long. He let the brick fall into the abyss where his useless worries always wound up and pulled himself from his mindscape.

Lavender was standing next to him again and smiling when he opened his eyes.

"Everyone else will be arriving soon. There's another half an hour before we sit down for Roast though…It's Fleur's week to bring desert; so expect something a bit fancy…and with butterscotch…she eats that in droves now, with Victoire it was Herring." She smiled, but caught the look on his face. "You…we can stay in here though until then if you'd like. You don't have to…"

"No." Harry interrupted her. "We're not done." He kept his own gaze in the mirror for a moment before he looked up to Lavender. "Shorter." He smiled a smile that he was sure was a bit on manic side.

"Yeah?" Lavender asked.

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "Scars are just scars. No reason to hide them, right?" He chuckled.

He watched her flick her own hair away from the marred side of her neck. "Right then...let's go shorter."

They stayed quiet for the next twenty minutes as she used her wand to trim the hair on the back of his head and the sides much shorter than he had ever had them. Then he watched through the mirror as she snipped more and more of the hair from the top of his head until finally she was done. She conjured a clear bag and made all the hair that had fallen around him jump into the bag.

He then saw her give him an appraising eye before she stepped forward and ruffled the now short hair on top of his head.

"Good." She said, "Much, much better." She smiled as she stepped around him and met his eyes in the mirror. "Much more handsome without that hair hiding your face." Harry felt himself blush slightly, but he met her eyes again at her next statement. "You really are one of the bravest people I've ever met Harry…not because of all those things you've done. But because here you are ready to fight for your friends again…this time though you don't need to." He arched a brow to her. "Harry this time it's you…no dark lord…you are the enemy. You turned yourself into the enemy you have to face, but you're not that person…you never were." She rested her hands on his shoulders. "You were never one for Divination were you?"

"Considering my experience with the subject usually ended with me being told of my impending death…no. I can't say I put much stock in it." He glanced at her in the mirror.

"Well." She started and smiled. "When Vati and I were holed up in the Room of Requirements we had a lot of time to think about the subject…and what it really counts for." She picked at a stray piece of hair that had fallen onto his shoulder. "We decided that being a seer…telling prophecies…that's not the real lessons of the subject."

"They're not?" Harry couldn't help the slightly sardonic tone of his voice.

"No." She replied with a shake of her head. "Reading tea leaves, trying to discern the messages in the stars…all the attempts to predict the future…they're scrambling efforts to explain something, but they do an absolute piss-poor job of giving us anything." She fixed her own hair in the mirror. "What Vati and I decided was that we would much rather attempt to see and be open to the possibilities of the future instead of predicting it…if you know that something is going to happen…it makes life boring. We decided that picturing all possibilities was much better…because then it's up to you to figure it out."

Harry thought about this for a moment as he watched Lavender fluff her hair and pat her cheeks. He liked the idea, but at the same time the logic itself seemed faulty.

"I know what you're going to say…you should have seen Hermione's reaction when I explained that to her… 'illogical reasoning and flawed premise'…I believe were her exact words. Ginny wasn't much better." Lavender smiled at him. "But it doesn't have to be completely true…Divination never really is…but I have a feeling you're going to adopt this idea of possibilities."

"You have a feeling?" He quipped out as his voice broke and he chuckled slightly as he wondered when Lavender Brown had become a well of insight.

"Yeah…I have a feeling." She smiled as she moved towards the door. "Everyone out there loves you, Harry. You're a friend to all of them, a Godfather, a brother to my husband, and most importantly you're Harry." She reached for the door. "I really am looking forward to meeting the real Harry…his hair is much better now-a-days. Make sure to show off my work." She laughed as she walked out leaving the door askew.

He had to laugh as he met his eyes in the mirror. With a nod of his head, he stood and made his way out of Arthur's study.

* * *

**Section 3: Extremely Loud Conversations and Incredibly Close Friends**

His first step out of Arthur's study into the hallway reminded him just how many charms the man must have put on the small room to cordon it off from the sounds of the rest of the house. The wall of chatter hit him like the Hogwarts Express at full speed.

He could make out the distinct voices through the din. Fleur's accent was lighter from the sound of it. Teddy was excitedly telling a story to someone. Ron and what sounded like George or Charlie were laughing. Hermione and Ginny's voices floated by him and he closed his eyes and felt that pull.

For a moment it felt like he was back there…when...without Voldemort, without everything else. If only there were a few more voices and a few less worries. In a made up time when things hadn't been skewed by…his life.

"Oh…that is much better." Harry opened his eyes at Helen Granger's statement. He found her smiling at him softly, a big turn from her attitude towards him earlier that morning. "I always thought you would look better without that fringe hanging over your face." She reached up, but paused to allow him time to step closer as permission for her to touch him. She and her husband, Richard, had been good about that before he left. He assumed it was because Hermione speculated with them on his treatment at the Dursley's. But he did step forward and he enjoyed the way she ran her hand over his hair in an effort to straighten the tips that had undoubtedly popped up since Lavender finished.

"Thank you…Mrs. Granger." Harry said softly to her.

"Harry." She said sternly and made him looked down to meet her eyes. "I believe we cleared up what Richard and I expect you to call us well over five years ago." The corner of her lips gave away her enjoyment of treating him like a child.

"Yes…yes we did…Helen." Harry couldn't help but smile to her. The woman had, over the small time before he left, made herself known to him as the perfect mother. He loved Mrs. Weasley, but she wasn't his mother…and neither was Helen. But if he had to imagine what Lily Potter would have been like as a mum…it would be more like Helen Granger. She was amazing in every way. She encouraged where sometimes Molly ordered, she allowed her hugs to be more subtle and intimate rather than the overwhelming enthusiasm that Molly showed at times, and most importantly she understood him…without ever actually knowing him. He had to guess was something that she had passed down to Hermione, but the woman read him much better than anyone else ever had.

And as if she had heard his thoughts she pulled him into an embrace. It was light, but firm. One of her hands rested on the nape of his neck and the other ran counterclockwise in a long oval over his mid-back.

"I'm glad to see you back again Harry." She said softly. "For everyone's sake…including mine and Richard's." Harry couldn't stop himself from tightening his grip and enjoying the comfort she offered him. She smelled, in part, like her daughter. That same crisp peppermint, but without the parchment undertone.

"I've a lot of apologies to make…but you and Richard will be near the top. I…" Harry started, but was stopped when Helen pulled his head from resting on her shoulder.

"I have no anger towards you Harry." She said as she put her hands on either side of his face. "I'm sad that no one noticed whatever it was you were going through…but I'm not angry at you." She smiled. "I expect you to make a promise that you will seek help if it ever gets bad again…you can come to me and I'll help you find someone if you're uncomfortable talking to anyone in that room."

Harry just nodded his assent; he didn't trust his voice fully.

"Good…now it might take a bit longer for Richard to come to terms with you." She gave him a sad sort of smile. "He may have gotten his hopes up when you were spending all that time with us…he always wanted a boy that he could go to Football matches with…and you made that promise to take him to quidditch match." Harry let his eyes fall in shame. "He's been to quite a few at this point, but everyone else has a hard time explaining what's happening to him. That and he said the game is a bit dizzying. I think going with you in particular was something he secretly wanted."

"I'll take him…to as many as he wants. Him and Teddy." Harry said with as much conviction as he could.

"I know you will." She gave him a wide smile. "Now…I won't threaten you about the possibility of you leaving…I believe you know the consequences of that." She looped her arm through his and pulled him the long way around to the den of the Burrow. "George was apparently conspiring to prank you…but Angelina has him cowed I believe, so no worries."

Harry smiled, and though he did not voice, felt like George pranking him would have been a proper event to happen that night. Helen stopped them right before they reached the corner leading into the den.

"This is where I leave you and let you make your grand entrance." She said with wry grin as she stepped ahead of him and disappeared into the carnival of sound coming from the room on the other side of the wall.

Harry shook his head slightly before pulling whatever was left of his supposed Gryffindor courage and took the step around.

"Harry!" Teddy's voice rung out as the little boy flew to Harry's waist and hugged as hard as he could.

"Hey mate." Harry said softly.

The room had ceased in its thrum of usual energy and gave way to one Harry was used to…tense anticipation.

He allowed himself the opportunity to meet the many eyes surrounding him as the silence continued. Fleur and Angelina were looking at him with welcoming smiles and warm eyes. Bill was impassive, but Harry did see a small gesture from the man…he would need to talk to him later. Charlie, Percy, Daphne, and little Fred were giving him curious looks. The entire older crowd was smiling; except for Richard Granger…the man looked conflicted about how he should feel. Lavender was giving him a wry grin, as was Ron. Hermione and Ginny were giving him looks of surprise before looking at one another…he guessed because of the new hair. The most interesting look was the one he was receiving from a miniature Fleur…someone he postulated must be the now five and a half year old Victoire Weasley.

The tiny silver-blonde haired girl was shyly standing next to Andromeda and peering at him with trepidation.

"Auntie Lavender cut all of your hair Harry!" Teddy's voice was loud and brought the tension down as everyone laughed at the boy's enthusiasm.

"Yes, she most certainly did…and a fine job of it too dear." Molly said with a smile to her daughter-in-law.

"Thanks Mum." Lavender said with a sing-song voice.

From that point until directly after the meal Harry was enveloped in the closest thing to being-part-of-a-family he had ever felt. Sure there had been a few lulls in the conversation, and a few long looks from people. But Molly, Andromeda, and Helen looked to have them all under control…or at least restrained enough to not make the night the disaster it could have been.

He had already started to make the rounds with Teddy not leaving his side. The fact that Teddy was so firmly rooted to him did not endear Harry to one Victoire Weasley.

The fact was the girl looked at him with nothing less than contempt…and from what Harry could tell it made her parents nearly giddy with amusement.

Teddy, though, was oblivious to Victoire's mood, and again that seemed to be another factor in the girl's ire. Harry figured the situation would need to be resolved sooner rather than later, and set for to make amends to the one-eighth Veela girl.

"Teddy?" He called to his godson. "How is it that you've been going on about your favorite person this past week, and you've yet to properly introduce me to her yet…" Harry watched as Victoire's face thawed a bit and she shifted from where she stood next to her mother, "I mean it was left to her parents to say her name mate!" Harry smiled as Teddy blushed and quickly moved to the now-smirking girl.

"Harry." Teddy started, "This is my best friend in the whole world…Tori."

"Well then, Tori, if I may call you that," Harry was happy he received a nod of acceptance from her; "It is most certainly a pleasure to meet you. And you are most certainly growing up to be a beautiful young woman…the last time I saw you, you were still in your nappies." He smiled when she blushed, and hoped it was from him complimenting her than embarrassment from the mention of nappies. He smiled even more at what she did next.

"Thank you very much sir!" Completing the cherub-like image of rosy cheeks and light blonde hair; her voice was simply angelic. Her smile turned a bit mischievous before she continued, "It's okay, Teddy has a bad way of forgetting his manners…I'll be sure to fix that sir." The laughter that followed that statement did nothing to cool the blush of his Godson. It was easy to see why his Godson was so smitten with her; like her mother she had a fiery side at only five and a half years old.

"I'm quite sure you will Tori…and you are more than welcome to call me Harry." He smiled as the girl gave a tiny curtsey and dragged her now-cowed best friend off as her spoils.

Harry looked to the girl's parents, "You two seem to have your work cut out with her." He smiled and pointed to Fleur's heavy stomach, "That one doing well?"

Bill and Fleur both smiled and nodded. As they spoke about the pregnancy, Harry's eyes migrated to the other side of the room where little Fred was being held by Hermione and Ginny was making faces at the little one. The boy's eyes would light up as Ginny shook her head and Hermione cooed in his ear. Feeling an odd sensation at the sight Harry quickly returned himself to the conversation in front of him.

"…and zhankfully Beel here, has been amazing about my hungers for zhe butterscotch." Fleur's smile was wide as she looked at her husband.

Bill kissed Fleur lightly on the head as he whispered something to her. She then smiled and moved to hug Harry. With her pregnant and Veela, her allure was a bit stronger and it caused Harry to feel a bit flush as she kissed each of his cheeks. He felt a bit confused as she walked away from him and Bill, and even more-so when Bill pulled him over to the entranceway of the house.

"Bill?" Harry began only to be silenced by a raised hand from Bill.

"We need to talk Harry." Bill said in an odd voice.

Harry nodded his head and waited.

"Not here though. Some of the things we need to talk about are sensitive and require an audience of a different kind…" Bill tilted his head and gave Harry a significant look.

Harry understood and to be honest he expected a summons to Gringotts. He was happy that they had used Bill as their medium of contact instead of some of their more interesting methods.

"Of course…I had…" Harry tried to come up with something to say.

"It's okay Harry, I know this has to be a bit overwhelming…which is why I didn't say anything when you were zoning out during Fleur's telling you how much she enjoys the lengths I will go to, to keep her happy during her pregnancy." Bill smiled again with a hint of smirk in the background.

"Oh…noticed that did you…sorry Bill." Harry grimaced.

"Not worries mate. A lot of things have changed…I can see how you would get distracted." Bill gave Harry a sad smile as he looked in the direction of the family. "Just take things at your own pace here Harry. We're happy you're back, but don't worry yourself over everything. I'll see you this week, just send me an owl the day of…alright?"

Harry nodded and then watched as Bill joined his wife and Andi. And then he let his eyes rove over everyone again.

George, Angelina, and Little Fred had left the room, as had Ron and Charlie. Lavender was with Molly and Helen talking on the couch next to the Floo. Percy was talking with Daphne Greengrass. Teddy and Victoire were sat on either lap of Arthur Weasley and Richard Granger telling an animated tale with similarly animated hand gestures. Once again he felt a pang of regret for his actions, 'How could I have left them?' he thought.

Then Harry looked to Hermione and Ginny, sitting close on the large armchair close to the kitchen. 'How could I have left them?' the question reverberated enough times that his head began to hurt and that small tug on his core became a large yank. 'I need air.' His thought was frantic as he shifted his footing and began to walk to the side entrance of the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen he saw Ron hunched over the leftover butterscotch and pecan custard Fleur had brought. "Need to grab a bit of air mate." He said as Ron caught his eye. "Don't worry." He continued as Ron made to stand up, "I'll not go further than the orchard." He chuckled as Ron took a moment to judge Harry's words before sitting back down for his extra filling.

His chuckle died slightly as he took another glance at his once-best-mate before the door closed. 'How could I have given this up?' he thought.

Outside the door he considered going to see Fred's grave next the large tree by the pond. Then he caught sight of the forms lit by wand standing next to the grave and he understood where George, Angelina, and Little Fred had gone.

As he pondered on which route to take to 'get some air' he let the chill overtake him. He had grown accustomed to the cold at the cottage. It made sense to use a warming charm, but he grew to like the small shivers that his body would develop after prolonged exposure. In his mind he debated on if it was a way to remind himself that he had not made a horrible mistake in that little glen that first day or if it was actually a form of penance for his running away.

Before he began to get too far into that thought another light caught his eye. It was not from a wand, that was easy to tell, as the glow was more orange and the halo from the glow too small. As he walked towards the light, which he now sourced as coming from Arthur's shed, he could tell whoever it was began to walk towards the door of the small building.

"Come on in Harry." Came the soft voice of Charlie Weasley. The man had a small cigarette dangling from his lips as he gave a hurried motion with his hand. "A wizard could freeze his bollocks off out there this time of year!"

"Yeah…I'd noticed." Harry said as he shuffled over to the worktable overladen with knobs.

"Hehe." Charlie chuckled slightly as he took a long drag of the cigarette before putting it out in a small bowl on the opposite table. "I'm not supposed to be having any more of these…and mum is to never know. But after a big meal like that…I can't help but have one. Besides it's only dried nettle and mint." Charlie gave him a big smile as he moved over to an oddly shaped object covered by a tarp.

As Harry watched the man he ran through every conversation he had taken part of with Charlie Weasley. And he found himself wanting in the familiarity department. He just did not know the second oldest Weasley son as much as he did the others. He even knew Percy more that he did Charlie.

"I know it can be hard getting back into the swing of things…after being gone for so long. I mean I was in Romania for the better part of the 90's." Charlie laughed slightly as he pulled the tarp from what was revealed to be Sirius' old motorbike fully refurbished. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute…though you should probably head in soon. Mum'll go spare if she doesn't see someone for longer than thirty minutes at a time."

Harry nodded slightly and managed to get out a 'thanks Charlie' before the man closed the door behind him.

Standing with the bike that had been instrumental in many of the bigger moments of his life was odd. He knew he should have treated it with reverence, but at the same time the bike looked different. The last time he had seen it, it was a mangle piece of scrap. Now every inch of the old thing was polished and maintained.

He sat there for a good few minutes contemplating the memories of the bike before he could hear a small voice calling his name.

After he had covered the bike back up with the tarp and closed the door to the shed, he could see the tiny, bundled form of Teddy running to him. As the boy got closer he made a running leap into Harry's arms…and if it had not been for his seeker-like reaction he might not have caught the boy.

"Harry! Its story time! You have to come in…Auntie Hermione is the best! And Grandpa Richard does the sounds…It's the best!" Harry caught sight of Hermione and Ginny standing in the doorway with Victoire standing between them.

As he looked back to his Godson he nodded his head. "Alright mate…" Harry smiled as he noticed George, Angelina, and little Fred had made their way in as well, "I'll be sure to get a good seat then."

"No Harry! You sit next to me and Tori! It's better than the best!" Teddy's toothy grin was a quick fix to the cold outside.

"Sounds good Teddy." Harry said as he walked them inside.

His night continued to make Harry teter on the edge of remorse and warmth. All throughout 'story-time', the good-byes, the promises to speak soon, the looks, putting an already sleeping Teddy into bed, receiving a small Fire-whiskey from Kreacher, and finally the 'good night' from Andi, Harry was washed of any distinct emotion. He found himself in the small chair of his room in Grimmauld staring out the window towards where he could just see the divide between the buildings where the Thames flowed.

* * *

_Author's note: If you spot mistakes please notify me._

_~A Vagrant Boy~_


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